The invention relates to a method for selecting products, wherein with each product there is associated a data set with a plurality of characteristics of the product, wherein the selection of a product is performed based on user-defined criteria relating to the characteristics, and wherein the selection is displayed on a graphic display unit.
Methods known so far for selecting products allow the user to perform a targeted search for individual products in a product group with the help of search functions. The products are classified based on their characteristics and data sets are generated for the individual products. The database generated in this manner can be searched by using various search algorithms according to the criteria inputted by the user. It happens frequently during searches in large databases that an exceedingly large number of products matches the search criteria inputted by the user which makes it very difficult for the user to make a selection.
One example for the aforedescribed selection method is the Internet sales offer from the company Amazon.com. This online merchant offers a variety of products via its Internet pages. The products are initially subdivided into product groups, such as for example books, music and various other products. The user has to first select the desired product group, whereafter he can search within this product group for all available products that are offered by the merchant Amazon.com. In addition to this first coarse product classification, the products are subdivided into individual categories. For example, the available book titles are here subdivided into categories, such as biographies, computer, money, community, children's books, youth books, art and culture, etc. When the user selects one of these product categories, he is offered by the merchant a selection of several products associated with this category. The user can again select certain sub-categories within a category. For example, under the category biographies, the sub-categories Federal Republic of Germany, DDR, important personalities, diaries or current events can be found. The user has the option to perform a hierarchical search in these sub-categories or to search the respective selected category, respective sub-category using key words.
If the user wishes to order a certain product from the goods offered by the merchant, then he has to describe this product with the search function so narrowly that the result of the search steers him to the desired product, or he has to search through the hierarchically arranged search trees of the product categories. Only at the end of his search will he get an idea if a search actually leads him to the desired product.
Another known sales offer is the sales offer in the Internet from the company Quelle. The selection method also enables the user to search within the available products by using a selective search query. Because of the company Quelle offers a large number of products, a search of all available products produces a confusingly large number of results. To support the user in his search and selection of the desired products, the offered products are already subdivided into specific categories, such as small appliances, home improvement, sports, fashion and consumer electronics. After the user has selected one of these categories, he can perform a more refined search within the sub-categories. For example, under the category consumer electronics, there are sub-categories photography, TV sets, DVD, etc. If the user looks for products for a DVD player, then he will certainly select the category DVD. In the category DVD, the products are again subdivided into the product categories DVD-software, sets, players. In the category software, the user now finds all available DVD movies and can select the desired product from the large number of offered products.
Disadvantageously, a search with search queries performed according to the aforedescribed state of the technology produces, one hand, an unmanageable large number of results. For the search to be successful, the user has to accurately describe the product he is looking for. On the other hand, the searches through the hierarchically constructed search trees are very time-consuming for the user, and the user only finds out at the end of the search if the correct product is among the selection.